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Carl F Groupco

Carl F Groupco celebrates year on year sales growth for SmartSecure.Photograph shows Managing Director John Crittenden.

Since launching SmartSecure in 2016, Carl F Groupco reports sales revenue increases of just under 90% year on year for its electronic door locking and access control brand.

The company advises that early adopters of its innovative Smart technology include the fabrication market and Housing Associations who recognise benefits across different access control applications, the sophistication of the technology and its simplicity of configuration that enables easy integration.

Commenting on the early growth of the SmartSecure brand, Carl F Groupco’s Managing Director John Crittenden said:

“In just two years since the launch of SmartSecure, we have seen a significant shift in perception of electronic locking and Smart access control. As we adopt Smart Technology in other areas of our homes with lights, heating and cameras, Smart door locks are becoming increasingly accessible.”

As a forerunner of the Smart locking and access control evolution in the UK’s hardware market, Carl F Groupco has continued to invest heavily in SmartSecure including designing a dedicated showroom. And, in addition to solutions based on FUHR’s fully motorised multipoint lock with automatic locking, the range was increased earlier this year to include Yale’s Conexis L1 retro-fit Smart keyless locking handle.

Carl F Groupco advises that the SmartSecure brand is set to continue to be one of the significant differentiators for the company’s hardware supply service, enabling the business to offer high-end technology as part of tailored solutions.

Clare White, Carl F Groupco’s Marketing Manager, celebrates ten years working for the national hardware distributor. Her career with the company has seen her progress from Marketing Assistant to Executive and, in 2014, she was promoted to Marketing Manager.

Career highlights have included helping to establish the organisation as a major player in the UK’s hardware distribution market. The opportunity to launch two brands have also been significant landmarks – the first was Carl F Groupco, which followed the merger of Groupco with Carl F, and secondly, Clare played a key role bringing SmartSecure to market, which put the company on the map as pioneers in electronic door locking and access control.

Clare confirms that the company’s main focus is to ensure the customer is always front of mind and to put the building blocks in place to support ongoing development of the organisation. She reports that Carl F Groupco is focused on both today’s hardware needs and ensuring the business continues to be centrally placed in the fittings industry of the future.

Commenting on her objectives in managing the marketing for Carl F Groupco, Clare said:

“We create literature, websites and catalogues designed to bring real benefit to our fabricator customers. Rather than merely being a promotional opportunity for Carl F Groupco, our marketing is produced as an extension of our customer service to enable easier purchasing decisions.

“We are all about long standing relationships with our customers and manufacturing partners, which gives us a client centric focus and strong foundation to continue to grow our business.”

SmartSecure featured on the Grabex Windows stand at Grand Designs Live London, 2018.

Grabex Windows featured the FUHR 881 fully motorised multipoint door lock, supplied by Carl F Groupco, on its stand at the 2018 Grand Designs Live London event. Considerable interest was shown in the innovative lock that was displayed with Carl F Groupco’s SmartSecure fingerprint and remote key fob access control options on Grabex’s timber door.

“Grand Designs Live is a multi-award winning event. It is a prime location to showcase the FUHR lock and the capabilities of our SmartSecure electronic locking and access control brand: we were delighted that our technology was selected by Grabex to be incorporated into its stand design.

“This was a major opportunity to promote SmartSecure to the domestic market and, having visited the stand, I saw first-hand the keen interest shown in the FUHR hardware and Smart tech that we supply.”

Carl F Groupco’s range of SmartSecure access control options allow the user to electronically unlock the door. The FUHR mulitronic 881 is at the heart of the solution – when the door is closed, all locking points, including the deadbolt, lock automatically driven by a dual motor to engage and secure within three seconds of closing. The FUHR 881 integrates with all SmartSecure access control options including the fingerprint and remote key fob access displayed by Grabex at Grand Designs.

Returning to Grand Designs for the ninth time, Grabex Windows presented a wide range of glazing products manufactured at its factory in Orpington. Carl F Groupco is an established supplier of hardware including FUHR mechanical and electronic door / window locks for Grabex’s aluminium, uPVC and timber range of windows, doors and conservatories.

Carl F Groupco has been selected as a hardware supplier for Liniar’s new range of reversible windows, available exclusively to fabricators from summer 2018. The established PN by Roto Uni Hinge and Roto TSL Espagnolette fitting options will be sold directly to customers by the hardware distributor. As part of its work promoting fittings to systems companies, Carl F Groupco’s PN-Roto technical team liaised with Liniar providing hardware advice and development input.

Key reasons for Liniar selecting Carl F Groupco as one of the hardware suppliers for the window are PN-Roto’s proven track record and design features that are compatible with the requirements of the new range. The Liniar team was also impressed by Carl F Groupco’s knowledge of PN-Roto, the company’s professionalism and its technical expertise.

The new Liniar window, with moving pane that rotates through a full 180° cycle for easy cleaning inside the property, is ideally suited to high-rise applications. The design, developed by Liniar’s in-house experts, results in a flush sash appearance both inside and out. Patented features including Liniar’s co-extruded bubble gasket, thermal dam and glazing flipper ensure draught-free installation with high thermal efficiency. The PN-Roto hinge and Roto TSL espag supplied by Carl F Groupco complement the slimline design aesthetics of the new window range.

The new window with Roto PN hinge and TSL espagnolette achieved full accreditation, including PAS 24, in May 2018. Hardware certification includes Grade 5 for the hinge on a salt spray accelerated corrosion test and a 10 year guarantee.

A strong relationship with PN and Carl F Groupco dates back to 2001. This partnership continued following the acquisition of PN by Roto in 2016 and today, the Carl F Groupco name is synonymous with PN by Roto in the hardware distribution sector. The full PN-Roto range is available from Carl F Groupco.

Hardware distributor Carl F Groupco endorses the findings of the ‘Door and Window Fittings Market Report – UK 2018-2022’ produced by AMA Research Ltd. The established fittings supplier confirms demand for both high specification products and mainstay lines.

Affirming growth in electronic multipoint door locks, Carl F Groupco reports that SmartSecure – the company’s electronic locking and access control brand, has seen a seven fold increase in year on year sales to end March 2018. Early adopters include Housing Associations and fabricators who recognise the benefits of added value opportunities, the access control options for domestic use and wide range of applications supported.

AMA research findings also showed that multipoint locks comprise 62% of the market, a fact which underscores the continuing importance of the FUHR 881 locking system supplied by Carl F Groupco: the 881 is a fully electronic, motorised multipoint locking system with integrated panic function for security and convenience.

The 12th edition of the ‘Door and Window Fittings Market Report – UK 2018-2022’ provides detailed insight into the market. The report offers analysis of all major product groups and the issues impacting the market. Supply and distribution channels are also reviewed.

In this report for Glass and Glazing Products, John King – National Sales Manager for Carl F Groupco , explains how the company’s advisory service includes taking a detailed brief and working with customers to ensure the best solution for their application.

Carl F Groupco draws on the strength of its team to provide comprehensive hardware advice. Article author, National Sales Manager John King is pictured in the foreground.

“We sell hardware across a range of sectors including retail, trade, new build and commercial and all our customers have very specific, individual needs.

We know that, when supplying hardware, one size definitely doesn’t fit all. This philosophy is backed by a catalogue of over 7,000 product lines from leading manufacturers that enables us to mix and match solutions. With one of the largest ranges of big brand hardware names, we hold over £3 million of stock and almost 1.9 million components available for next day delivery.

It would be easy to assume that we have enough on our hands with stock control and that we simply respond to orders. There are occasions when a repeat order is needed or the enquirer knows exactly what they want. However, there are many instances when hardware purchasers need assistance regarding products, standards or specification issues.

Addressing this, we ensure that we aren’t just order takers. We take care to fully understand the products that we supply and we work closely with our manufacturer suppliers to keep informed of latest technology updates – this is backed by regular training. This depth of knowledge goes across our organisation.

We are also members of influential industry organisations including the Council of Aluminium Building (CAB) and Secured by Design – this give us access to the most up-to-date industry standards advice, which helps us to fully support our customers in responding to their brief. As part of our management and consulting services we also offer guidance on Document Q, Secured by Design and PAS 24, in conjunction with hardware and profile manufacturers.

Practical, pragmatic advice:

We believe in offering practical, pragmatic advice and our sales and technical support teams’ experience
spans production management, installation and service skills. As a result, we are in a very strong position to understand the needs of our customers and we constantly draw on our practical knowledge to provide our considered recommendations. And, if we are responding to a design and build requirement, we use the expertise of our full team and gain input from our suppliers.

When it comes to taking a brief, we regularly meet face-to-face to get a full picture of the order requirements. Personal relationships are important and we work with customers to fully understand their needs and scope of the installation to offer products with suitable accreditation. With distribution facilities in Peterborough and Cumbernauld in Scotland plus a network of Regional Sales Managers, our support is national and this has recently extended to encompass the whole of Ireland. However, you can rest assured that service isn’t compromised over the phone ……. our internal sales team is equally adept at understanding requirements.

No corners cut

We don’t cut any corners and our service is backed by a CRM system – benefits include real-time reporting and full historical data available to all members of the account handling team. This means that customers don’t have to go through the tedious process of starting afresh every time they contact us – at the click of a button we can call up their full order history.

As the supplier, we are more than happy to travel to customers to meet them at their convenience but equally, visitors are welcome at our UK warehouse, distribution and administration centre in Peterborough. Of particular interest is our fully interactive showroom for SmartSecure that displays our electronic locking and Smart access control solutions. The facility, which is part of an investment of over £100,000 in SmartSecure, showcases all access control options.

The showroom features eight fully electronic doors and a demonstration area which confirms the simplicity of hardware selection and installation. Aluminium, composite, PVCu and timber doors are represented, and a separate area for training is provided where we illustrate how easy it is to prepare a door and fit the hardware.

Key to how we set ourselves apart is our ability to assess the hardware brief to provide bespoke packages. We work as an extension of our customers’ teams and liaise closely, becoming their trusted advisors. And knowing that time is of the essence, particularly with new build tenders, we work fast to increase sales opportunities.

In summary, when it comes to hardware supply, at Carl F Groupco we pride ourselves in offering a holistic, consultancy service which translates to practical solutions that take account of the bigger picture regarding accreditation and standards requirements.”

Brian Devlin and Pete Garner, warehouse operatives at Carl F Groupco, have celebrated 20 years working for the hardware distributor. Both men play key roles in the supply side of the organisation supporting the company’s high On Time In Full (OTIF) delivery principles.

The main enhancements experienced by Brian and Pete during their two decades working for Carl F Groupco have included relocation to larger premises with a new warehouse in 2010. Automation advancements that have been introduced to increase the speed of despatch include a self-guiding robotic mobile pallet stretch wrapper investment in 2015.

A number of Carl F Groupco staff have achieved long service: from a team of eleven in the warehouse, three people have been employed for over twenty years and a further three have worked for the company for over thirty years.